(11 hours ago)kalibengal Wrote: + Burks

And Shaka who played very good late last season. We actually have a good looking LB room now IMO.

(11 hours ago)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: BS, Pratt was a game changer a couple years ago. The only game he was changing lately was allowing big runs holding the running back up 
trying to strip the ball and it was a bad habit the rest of the Defense took up. We need our Linebackers to learn how to take good angles, wrap 
up and tackle while being able to cover. Pratt brought none of this, game changer? Give me a break.

You must have missed the big games and primetime games last season where he shined. I'd recommend rewatching the biggest game of them all Denver.  Where like many, we lose without Pratt's game changing plays in clutch. 

Look, having a Star QB and hall of fame players isn't enough to get to a SB. Ask Palmer, Allen, Lamar...  Bengals are dangerously close if not there to not having players who know how to win a big game.

Palmer had hall of fame players, as does Lamar, Allen not so much. It's significantly hard to get to the SB without the these big game players... Even with stacked rosters. We are already short the big game players we had in 2021 and 22. And hope as much as you want but the likelihood that we are in Divisional round and out territory is much greater than SB bound the more players we lose. 

It just won't happen. KC isn't the most talented outside of maybe 3 players but they have big game players. They have players who know how to win. Palmer had a hall of fame line, hall of famers on the Dline, Hall of famers at WR and couldn't win a big game here.

(11 hours ago)jj22 Wrote: You must have missed the big games and primetime games last season where he shined. I'd recommend rewatching the biggest game of them all Denver.  Where like many, we lose without Pratt's game changing plays in clutch. 

Look, having a Star QB and hall of fame players isn't enough to get to a SB. Ask Palmer, Allen, Lamar...  Bengals are dangerously close if not there to not having players who know how to win a big game.

Palmer had hall of fame players, as does Lamar, Allen not so much. It's significantly hard to get to the SB without the these big game players... Even with stacked rosters. We are already short the big game players we had in 2021 and 22. And hope as much as you want but the likelihood that we are in Divisional round and out territory is much greater the more players we lose. 

We need to get back to the basics on Defense. That starts with tackling. Big plays will come and just because Pratt made plays back in the 
day and got a bad pass thrown right to him late last season doesn't make him the game changer he once was. Addition by subtraction is 
what the Pratt cut is. Knight takes great angles and wraps up, the opposite of Pratt.

I hope this gets them closer to signing Trey.

(11 hours ago)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Every bit helps and Pratt was overpaid for what he brings.


Not weird at all, there are outs for waiting till June to cut certain players.


Exactly.

There are, but I thought that's what a post-June 1st cut did, does it not?
I thought those types of cuts allowed those individuals to be cut prior to June 1st so they could start seeking other opportunities earlier.

(10 hours ago)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: We need to get back to the basics on Defense. That starts with tackling. Big plays will come and just because Pratt made plays back in the 
day and got a bad pass thrown right to him late last season doesn't make him the game changer he once was. Addition by subtraction is 
what the Pratt cut is. Knight takes great angles and wraps up, the opposite of Pratt.

Knights game tape isn't all that great. Highlights tho you are right. 

I'll be interested in seeing some good game tape from Knight. I've looked and looked to try to like the pick. 

(10 hours ago)jj22 Wrote: Knights game tape isn't all that great. Highlights tho you are right. 

I'll be interested in seeing some good game tape from Knight. I've looked and looked to try to like the pick. 

We both need to watch more Knight game tape. Pratt is gone, need to check out our new guy. All I know is I watched a lot of his tape after we 
drafted him and he hits RB's in the backfield like a freight train. The way he takes angles and wraps up is special. I also like Barrett but think he
will start out on ST's but the dude can also cover and be a QB spy for us. Never thought Pratt was going to be here once Lou left and Golden 
was hired.

Like I said earlier, Hodges had a long interview earlier this Offseason and didn't mention Pratt once. He mentioned Logan, Burks and Shaka 
Heyward. This is was before the draft though.

Thanks for the memories, Germaine. Now, time to get serious about extending Hendrickson.

(11 hours ago)jj22 Wrote: Pratt was paid pennies for a LB with his game changing ability. 5.25m is a great contract for a starting lb.

I agree.  The guy is a good linebacker.  This past season he tried too much to strip the ball on every play and let the offensive player get too many yards down field instead of making the tackle.  If he goes back to fundamentals, he will be a good LB this year and will help someone's defense

(11 hours ago)jj22 Wrote: Pratt was paid pennies for a LB with his game changing ability. 5.25m is a great contract for a starting lb.

Pratt may have been a game changer a few years back....but he was absolutely abysmal last season

(Yesterday, 01:45 PM)jason Wrote: Wasn't there already enough money to give Trey? Honesty this move makes no sense to me. Just have to trust the brain trust I suppose.

Really? 

We brought in Burks from Philly in FA, who started the SB and was PFF's #1 rated LB in the post-season. We then drafted a plug & play 26 year old LB in Rd 2, and another LB in Rd 4. Plus Wilson is a lock starter. 

Pratt then demanded a trade and refused to show up. He had a roughly $8 mil cap hit and was likely LB#4 (at best). 

He insisted on being a 3 down linebacker but he just isn't anymore. He is still good vs the run, and makes some big plays now & then (INT/fumbles), but he also sells out a lot trying to make them, missing tackles and letting RBs getting extra yards. Top 10 in missed tackles and tackles. 

He was awesome in the SB run, and damn good the next year, but not so much the last two. And his treatment of Ossai after the KC game still ticks me off. Seems he got into tweeting more than playing and trying to make big plays to get paid instead of just being solid and letting the game come. 

While I could have seen going with Wilson, Burks, & Pratt as our main LBs this year, once Knight & Carter were drafted, and he requested a trade & held out, the writing was on the wall. Plus, it again sounded like hexwas going to be disruptive if he did not play every down (again). 

Thanks for 6 years, Playoff P. But it is time to move on. 

I just hope that $6 mil we save vs the cap gets pilut into the team (Trey, IOL, S/SB, etc) rather than Mikey's pocket.

(10 hours ago)007BengalsFan Wrote: I agree.  The guy is a good linebacker.  This past season he tried too much to strip the ball on every play and let the offensive player get too many yards down field instead of making the tackle.  If he goes back to fundamentals, he will be a good LB this year and will help someone's defense

He was not a good linebacker last year and it had nothing to do with a focus on stripping the ball...He was slow...out of position and his tackling was abysmal

(10 hours ago)ERIC1 Wrote: Pratt may have been a game changer a few years back....but he was absolutely abysmal last season

Well everyone was on d outside of Trey. Even so in the prime time and big games last season Pratt shined and made game changing plays.

(11 hours ago)Luvnit2 Wrote: For those who day the Bengals are mean, this early prior to TC cut of Pratt is for he can find a new home easier.

Me personally, I would have waited to get through TC to insure the rookies are ready right now or our LB core is healthy heading into the season.

Nice of Bengals to do it now.

If the rooks aren't quite ready, I oike Burks a lot. He started the Eagles SB run and was PFF's #1 LB in the playoffs. If Knight needs more time,,Burks can start next to Logan. 

(10 hours ago)BenZoo2 Wrote: I hope this gets them closer to signing Trey.

I hope they trade hendrickson and get some high draft picks...aside from his sacks that usually occur over 4 or 5 games...he disappears..spends the entire game doing a hughschool wrestling match with the opposing teams offensive tackle

(11 hours ago)jj22 Wrote: And then there was 1 on defense that knew how to win a big game (we need at least 4 to get to a SB....). 2 if you count Hill. 

Burks started the SB run for Philly and was PFF's #1 LB in the POs. I think he counts.

(11 hours ago)jj22 Wrote: You must have missed the big games and primetime games last season where he shined. I'd recommend rewatching the biggest game of them all Denver.  Where like many, we lose without Pratt's game changing plays in clutch. 

Look, having a Star QB and hall of fame players isn't enough to get to a SB. Ask Palmer, Allen, Lamar...  Bengals are dangerously close if not there to not having players who know how to win a big game.

Palmer had hall of fame players, as does Lamar, Allen not so much. It's significantly hard to get to the SB without the these big game players... Even with stacked rosters. We are already short the big game players we had in 2021 and 22. And hope as much as you want but the likelihood that we are in Divisional round and out territory is much greater than SB bound the more players we lose. 

It just won't happen. KC isn't the most talented outside of maybe 3 players but they have big game players. They have players who know how to win. Palmer had a hall of fame line, hall of famers on the Dline, Hall of famers at WR and couldn't win a big game here.

And you must have missed the other 28 games of the past two seasons where pratt was slow...out of position and tackled like an eighth grade pee wee league linebacker

(10 hours ago)ERIC1 Wrote: And you must have missed the other 28 games of the past two seasons where pratt was slow...out of position and tackled like an eighth grade pee wee league linebacker

You could say the same thing for most of the guys on defense these past couple of years. 

(10 hours ago)ERIC1 Wrote: And you must have missed the other 28 games of the past two seasons where pratt was slow...out of position and tackled like an eighth grade pee wee league linebacker

I think you guys have forgot our big games while few from the last two seasons. But if you watch even the highlights on YouTube you’ll see Pratt all over the place. But this is what happens when the defense has struggled. Out goes the baby with the bath water.

The true issue is fans not realizing how hard it is to get to a sb without the maybe not hall of fame players but the ones who can shine in prime time and know how to win big games. It’s not like we don’t see the examples every season in the Ravens, Bills, San Fran, Tampas, GB’s of the league.

I was always a bigger pratt fan than most, but once you run your mouth you gotta go.